Bradshaw's Run With Giants Is Over

Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who was released Wednesday.
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By

Jonathan Clegg

Updated Feb. 6, 2013 9:09 p.m. ET

Two days into the NFL off-season, the Giants have made one thing abundantly clear: When it comes to rebuilding their roster, there will be no room for sentiment.

The Giants continued the aggressive overhaul of their roster with a pair of headline moves on Wednesday, releasing leading rusher Ahmad Bradshaw and defensive tackle Chris Canty just 24 hours after cutting veteran linebacker Michael Boley.

The departures of Canty and Bradshaw mean the Giants have now parted ways with three key contributors to their Super Bowl XLVI triumph as they attempt to rebuild following a 9-7 season in which they failed to reach the playoffs.

In many ways, the departures of Bradshaw and Canty were only to be expected. Both were veteran players on big contracts and were hobbled by injuries last season. Taken with Boley's release, the Giants have now cleared $13.75 million in salary cap space, leaving them roughly $3 million under the projected cap for next year.

ENLARGE

Bradshaw was the Giants' leading rusher in each of the last three seasons.
Zuma Press

But the decision to waive Bradshaw—a productive rusher, locker-room leader and fan favorite—and to a lesser extent Canty, a respected veteran and valuable contributor, is further evidence of the team's ruthless approach to the off-season.

Even in their announcement detailing Bradshaw's release, it wasn't hard to detect an uneasiness about dumping a member of both their recent Super Bowl triumphs.

"Ahmad Bradshaw has been an incredible part of two world championship teams here," said coach Tom Coughlin. "He is not only an exceptional football play, but he is the epitome of line up and play. Regardless of the circumstances, he's going to give you everything he's got."

"Ahmad played football like Giants football should be played," said general manager
Jerry Reese.

The decision to part ways with Bradshaw is mostly a pragmatic move. Bradshaw finished last season with 1,015 rushing yards but he has played in all 16 games just once in his six-year career. The wear and tear on his body means Bradshaw is unable to carry the load by himself, but his $3.75 million base salary for 2013 made him too expensive for a timeshare role.

But it also represents a bold endorsement of David Wilson, the team's first-round pick in the 2012 draft, who flashed signs of greatness during his rookie season.

Despite struggling with ball protection early last year, Wilson finished the season by posting 273 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in the final four games. His breakout earned praise from Giants general manager Jerry Reese, who expressed confidence in Wilson's ability to succeed as a lead back in the NFL.

The emergence of Andre Brown as a capable backup and effective goal-line runner last season also helped make Bradshaw expendable.

Though Brown is a restricted free agent, he is likely to receive a tender and Bradshaw acknowledged last week that the presence of two capable deputies had clouded his future with the team.

Judging by the numbers, it seems reasonable to expect that Wilson and Brown could match or exceed Bradshaw's contribution over the course of the season. Bradshaw averaged 4.6 yards per carry and ran for six touchdowns last season. Both Wilson and Brown averaged 5 yards or better and they combined for 12 rushing touchdowns.

The biggest void could come in the locker room, where Bradshaw's toughness and intensity marked him out as a team leader. Last season, Coughlin said Bradshaw was such an inspirational figure that he considered asking him to travel with the team while injured purely for his ability to motivate his teammates on the road.

"Bradshaw has great toughness," Coughlin said. "He plays through anything. He doesn't just talk about playing hurt. He does play hurt."

After a decorated six-year career with the Giants, next season he will do so for a different team.

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